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A new study from Brigham Young University has found that having to keep your balance—like when a woman wears stiletto heels—can actually curb overspending.

According to Jeffrey Larson, when your mind is focused on keeping your body in balance, your shopping habits level out, too. This leads to more purchases in the middle of the price range, rather than at its high or low end.

To reach these balanced conclusions, researchers took an off-balance approach. How? They had subjects lean back in a chair while shopping online, play a Wii Fit game while answering question about buying choices, or stand on one foot while considering printer purchases.

When these physical influences were in play, the volunteers tended to make more balanced shopping choices.

So if a pair of Manolo Blahniks isn’t part of your shopping strategy, Larson says you can always ride the escalator or shop after yoga class.

All in all, you might call this a surprising theory of well-heeled shopping.

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The Loh Down on Science is the fun way to get your daily dose of science in less than two minutes. The program explains the world of science with a dash of humor. Hosted by writer/performer and Caltech alumna Sandra Tsing Loh, it's a program for those who love science as well as for those who avoid it!